Confusion about food expiration dates can inadvertently cause unnecessary food waste or food safety issues; so we’ve compiled the definitions of some of the most common food expiration labels, according to the USDA. Tape the list on your refrigerator or cabinet for quick reference. A quick glance could benefit both your wallet and your health.

Blamed as a key dietary culprit in causing heart disease, trans fats are getting kicked all the way to the curb. Best Food Facts Nutrition Advisor, Carolyn O’Neil, MS RD dishes up insight from nutrition experts on the issue of trans fats.

What are trans fats anyway? The American Heart Association says, “Trans fats (or trans fatty acids) are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.” They are used because they are easy to handle, inexpensive to produce, they have a great shelf life and they create a great taste and texture as a food ingredient.

For more information on the science behind trans fats, Best Food Facts reached out to sports nutritionist Dr. Liz Applegate and food scientist and registered dietitian Dr. Ruth MacDonald.

The Food and Drug Administration has taken an initial step to ban trans fats. This means that any trans fats that are artificially created will be off the menu and out of our food for good. Why does that matter, and what does it mean for our food? We asked the experts.

There’s a dilemma in the breadbasket! A growing number of people are being diagnosed with sensitivity to gluten found in grains. Additionally, some are claiming grains might be a culprit in the growing prevalence of certain diseases, like obesity and dementia. Registered Dietitian Carolyn O’Neil explains the issue and provides insight.

Many moms and dads will check their child’s Halloween candy to be sure it’s safe to eat. But how long will that candy last? Best Food Facts reached out to Fadi Aramouni, PhD, professor of food science, Kansas State University, about the shelf life of candy and guidance on how much candy we should really eat.

Researchers in Mississippi recently tested chicken nuggets from two national fast food chains. They took one nugget from each restaurant and examined the ingredients. The result was that about half of the nuggets were muscle with the rest a mix of fat, blood vessels and nerves. Close inspection revealed cells that line the skin or internal organs. The second was 40 percent muscle and the remainder was fat, cartilage and pieces of bone.

Is this unusual? Is it a safety concern? We took these questions and others to Dr. Casey M. Owens at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas.

We received an inquiry from a Best Food Facts reader about “functional fibers” that are being added to foods. There are reports that inulin, a popular food additive, can cause gastrointestinal discomfort if over-ingested.

We spoke with Dr. Joanne Slavin, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, to find out more.

With the rise of low- and no-carb diets, the word “carb” has taken on a negative connotation. Just as there is no one-size-fits-all diet there is also no one perfect food. A balanced diet includes a wide variety of foods consumed in moderation. But carbohydrates shouldn’t be considered to be “empty” calories. Carbohydrates can be rich sources of fiber such as those found in vegetables, whole grains, fruits and beans, all of which play a role in decreasing the risk of chronic disease.

In the old cowboy Westerns, you could always tell the good guy from the bad guy by his white button-down shirt. Recently, a similar guideline has been applied to many of the foods that we once enjoyed. This time though, the new "bad guy" in town, an alleged less-nutritious option, now wears white: white bread, white pasta and white sugar. In reality, it takes more than a glance at a food’s color to determine whether something is inherently healthier.